Car-switching mechanism.



No. 718,993. I PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

T. A. ENNIS.

GAR SWITCHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, 1902.

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THOMAS A. ENNIS, OF ALBREAD, ARKANSAS.

CAR-'SWIITCHENG MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,993, dated January27, 1903.

Application filed October 23, 1902.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. ENNIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Albread, in the county of Van Buren and State of Arkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-SwitchingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a mechanism andarrangement whereby a moving car may be controlled to continue 0n themain track or switched onto a side track or shunt by means of a leveroperative from within the car and without any outside manual assistance.

Another object is to provide a car-switching mechanism by which therails of the track may be made stationary, with no necessity for slidingthe ends of the rails in switch-. ing and in which the entire operationof switching can be performed from the interior of the car.

Another object is to provide a carswitching mechanism which will bestrong and durable in construction, positive in action, neat andattractive in appearance, can be manufactured and sold at acomparatively low price, in which the number of parts is reduced to aminimum, easily operated and maintained, will produce a saving of timeand labor in operation, and will be capable of a wide scope ofusefulness and efficiency.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing specification and from the drawings forming a part thereof.

In order to more fully understand my invention and its operation,reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a car and a portion of a track equipped and arrangedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of same. Fig. 4 is a top plan of a railwaytrack and switch and the stationary part of my invention.

Similar indices refer to and denote like parts throughout the severalviews.

A and A represent the two rails of an ordinary railway-track.

B and B represent the ends of the switchrails.

0 represents the ties. Where a switch is Serial No. 128,422. (No model.)

desired, the rails are laid and permanently secured as shown in thedrawings.

7 represents the guide-block secured to the ties 0 between the rails insubstantially the position as shown.

7 is a groove or channel formed longitudinally through the face of theguide-block 7, and at one end the channel 7 flares to provide a mouth,substantially as shown.

D represents a car of any well-known construction adapted to be carriedalong on the rails by its wheels E, and F represents the platform of thecar.

Rising from one of the front corners of the platform F is a post 3, tothe upper end of which is pivoted one end of the horizontal arm 4, andto the opposite end of the latter is pivotally secured the lever 6. Thefree end of the lever 6 is provided with a handheld, and the center ofthe lever is pivoted in the top of the post 8, which latter rises fromthe platform F. Secured in the center of the arm 4: and extending downthrough an aperture in the platform F is the actuator 10, and secured onthe under side of the platform, extending from side to side thereof, isthe U- shaped brace member 11, with an opening in its center throughwhich passes the actuator 10. The lower end of the actuator 10 isprovided with a longitudinal axle, on which is mounted the roller 12, asshown. It will now be apparent that by lowering the handle of the lever6 the lower end of the actuator 10 will be raised, and by raising up thehandle of the lever 6 the lower end of the actuator'lO will be lowered.The lever 6 may be operated from the platform of the car, or it may beextended to within the car, if desired.

Ordinarily the lever 6 would be down, in which case the roller 12 wouldpass over the blocks 7 and the car would continue on the main track.Should it be desired to run the car onto the side track, the operatorwould a short time before reaching the switch raise the handle of thelever 6, which would cause the rollerl2 and the lower part of theactuator to enter the groove 7 of the block 7, by which the wheels ofthe car would be drawn over and guided onto the switch-rails B and B.

My invention is perfectly adapted to accomplish the results for which itis intended, and it is evident that changesin and modifications of thespecific construction herein shown and described may be made and thatanalogous parts may be used to accomplish the same results withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of its manyadvantages.

I wish it understood that I do not dedicate tion, a block, with a groovethrough the face thereof; an actuator extending down from the caradapted to engage in-said groove; a contact-roller journaled on thelower end of the actuator; a U-shaped brace extending down from theplatform to provide a bearing for the actuator; an arm pivoted to theupper end of the actuator; a lever pivoted to said arm, whereby theactuator may be moved up and down by the movement of said lever, allsubstantially as shown and described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. ENNIS.

Witnesses:

R. W. HALL, J. F. KooNE.

